Sweat band flanging machine



y 1934- J. 1.. OBRIEN SWEAT BAND FLANGING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Moan ATTORNEY May 8, 1934- OBRIEN SWEAT BAND FLANGING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zzvvgzvrozg. (fuse v6 L. 06778 ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATEN? SWEAT BAND FLANGING MACHINE Delaware Application July 22, 1933, Serial No. 681,773

12 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for flanging the edges of sweat bands for hats, and the purpose of the in-- vention is to provide means wherein leather sweat bands as used in mens and ladies hats may be operated upon for the purpose of turning over and outwardly deflecting one of its longitudinal edge portions with a view of what I have termed flanging the sweat band and in away to produce an improved article of manufacture which is particularly adapted for the production of what may be called sweat proof hats.

The machine is a semi-automatic machine in which the hat bands are placed and chucked preparatory to being fed between rollers to deflect and stretch the edge portions of the leather better to make it conform to the shape of the hat brim to which it is attached.

A further object of the invention is to include in the machine chucking means that will accommodate sweat bands of diiferent widths and lengths and different scopes, which means differences in curvatures in the edge portion to conform to the scope of the hats into which they are to be sewed.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides and consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, sizes and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Like characters of reference will be found to denote similar or corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and upon which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of my improved sweat band flanging machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a front end elevational view, also on an enlarged scale, of the flanging rollers, flanging tool, and their supporting bearings, as seen from arrow A, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the rotatable sweat band holding means, or chuck, with the top cover plate removed, better to illustrate the chuck operating means; and

Fig. 6 shows a perspective View on a reduced scale, of a flanged sweat band as formed on my improved machine.

Briefly, the machine comprises two essential and co-ordinating operating mechanisms, one represented by a rotatable chuck in which the sweat bands are singly supported and chucked so that their raw longitudinal edge will be uniformly disposed upward and thus exposed for engagement and to be operated on by the forming rollers which turn over, stretch and dispose the said raw edge portion outward to form an annular flange.

The machine may obviously be mounted upon a pedestal, bench or the like, not shown, and in this respect includes a base plate 10 which includes a vertically disposed post 11, see Fig. 3, upon which the cylindrical chuck 12 is rotatably mounted. This chuck, see Figs. 3 and 5, is of a cylindrical formation, the upper end of which is open and the lower end closed to form a bottom 13 and a hub 14, through which a hole is formed to receive the beforementioned post 11. Within this cylindrical chuck body and to its bottom portion is secured by means of screw 15 a short cylindrical support 16 whose outer annular surface is threaded to receive and support an adjustable disc 17, and whose outer annular edge portion is sized to freely fit into the cylindrical body 12 of the chuck and to move up and down therein, when rotated. This disc is rotated when desired, see Fig. 1, by turning it on the threaded support 16 by the use of a detachable pin 18, which serves as a handle when positioned through the opening 19 in the side wall of the cylindrical chuck body, and into one of the holes 22 of the disk. The said raising and lowering of the disc being for the purpose of adjusting it to accommodate sweat bands B of different widths, see Fig. 3, and to support the same in an annular position with their upper edges disposed vertically, see dotted line, Fig. 3, and until engaged by the guide 20 which deflects said edge between the first pair of operating rolls. Adjacent to the opening 19 I also provide a vertical slot 21 through which the pin 18 freely enters and engages one of the several holes 22 in the periphery of the adjustable disc 17 to hold it in its adjusted position, said pin obviously being removable to permit of said adjustment, and is repositioned in perhaps another one of the holes, after being adjusted.

Upon the threaded support 16 is secured as by means of screws 23 a plate 24 that encloses the lower portions of the chuck and serves to support the radially expanding chuck jaws 25 of which 1 10 there may be three or more, each of the said jaws being provided with radial slots 26 through which bolts 27, which are secured to the plate 24, freely pass in a way to permit the said jaws to move radially for the purpose of engaging the inner faces of the sweat band and clasp it against the inner cylindrical wall of the chuck body.

In addition to these chuck members I also attach upon and central of the plate 24 by means of screws 28 a bearing 29 upon which is mounted a rotatable member 30, which serves as a means through which the said chuck members are operated, the said bearing being provided with a flange 31 for retaining the rotary member thereon. Links 32 serve to connect the chuck jaws 25 with the rotatable member 30, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5 so that with the turning of the rotatable member 30 in the one direction, the chuck jaws are expanded, and by the turning of the operating member in the other direction the said chuck jaws are withdrawn. A cover plate 33, see Figs. 2 and 3, is secured to the member 30 by means of screws 34 and has its annular edge portion in engagement with the top edge of the chuck jaws so as to cover the said operating mechanisms within the outer circular edge or gripping face of the several jaws.

An operating handle 35 is secured centrally of said cover plate 33 and in alignment with the post 11 for rotating the members 30 and 33 for the manipulation of the jaws. In this respect it will be understood that when the chuck is in a released position with the jaws withdrawn, as in Fig. 5, the sweat band can readily be placed therein, in a circular position, one annular edge portion resting upon the supporting disk 17 while the other edge portion projects up in a way to be exposed and engaged by the shoe rolls, and when the chuck 12 is rotated. In placing the sweat band in the chuck, the two ends of the band are positioned in spaced relation to each other and in close proximity to the guide shoe and rollers so that when secured and the chuck given a slight preliminary rotary hand movement, the end of the band is engaged by the rollers, which serve to further feed in the sweat band and thereby rotate the chuck, one rotation of the chuck usually being suflicient to insure the proper flanging of the sweat band, and for this purpose a stop has been provided so that the rotation of the chuck is automatically stopped when making a full rotation.

In this respect attention is again called to Fig. 1 wherein a notch 36 is shown in the annular edge portion of the chuck body that is adapted to be engaged by a spring actuated pawl 37 mounted in a socket 38 formed in the bed of the machine.

Referring now more particularly to the roller means for flanging the edge of the sweat bands, attention is called to the uprights 39, 40 and 41, together with the shaft bearing 42, all of which may be formed integral with or attached to the before mentioned bed 10. The upright 41 serves to support the guide 20 that is formed on a shank 43 adjustably mounted in a holder 44 which in turn is adjustably mounted in a hole in the upright 41, and secured in its adjusted position therein by a set-screw 45. In this connection it will be seen that the guide shoe can readily be raised or lowered and positioned nearer to or farther from the first pair of rollers 46 and 4'7, and has its underside portion bevelled to be engaged by and deflect the edge portion a of the sweat band B outward and between the said first pair of rollers 46 and 47.

A short driving shaft 48 is mounted in the bearing 42 and carries upon one end a pulley 49 by means of which it is driven, and upon the other end a gear 50 that meshes with and drives gears 51 and 52 on the upper roller shafts 53 and 54, the former carrying the said upper roller 46 and the latter a roller 55. These gears 51 and 52 in turn mesh with and drive similar gears 56 mounted upon the lower roller shafts 57 and 58 which carry the rollers 47 and 59 respectively. By means of these gear connections, it will be seen that both pairs of rollers are driven in a like direction and in a way to frictionally engage and draw the edge portion of the sweat band therebetween, and in a manner to feed the same forward and to rotate the chuck.

Each of the four roller shafts is supported in independent bearings, the bearings being adjustably mounted in elongated pockets 60. The bearings for the upper roller shafts are obviously mounted above the bearings for the lower roller shafts. The rollers are arranged in pairs, one above the other, the forward pair 46 and r2 being positioned adjacent the before mentioned shoe and mounted within the forward upright 39. The second pair 55 which is in operative alignment with the forward pair is similarly mounted in the upright 40.

Inasmuch as the two pairs of rollers are supported in similar uprights and the adjustable bearings are alike in each instance, I will use the same reference characters upon the two pairs and refer specifically only to the mountings for the first pair of rollers, as per the following: The upper forwardly positioned shaft 53 is journaled in bearing 61 which is hingedly supported on a pin 62 that is secured in the two spaced apart side portions of the uprights 39. This bearing being pivotally hung as it is, it permits of slight adjustment of the roller 46 with respect to the lower roller 4'? by means of screws 63 mounted in the top end of the upright forward and aft, with respect to the said pivotal pin.

The lower roller shaft 57 carrying the lower forward roller 47 is also journaled in an adjustable bearing 64 hingedly supported with respect to the upright by means of a second pivotal pin 55 that is also mounted in the spaced-apart sides of the upright 39, and is adapted to be swung slightly upon its pivot for the adjustment of the roller 47 with respect to the face of the roller 46 by means of a nut 66 mounted upon a screw 67 hingedly connected to a lug 68 formed upon the said shaft bearing 64.

The screw 67 passes through a hole in a flange 69 of the upright 39 and is provided with a spring '70 and a lock nut 71, whereby the adjustable bearing 64, its shaft and roller, can be tilted slightly by the manipulation of the nut 66. It will also be observed that by reason of the spring upon the screw between the nut 66 and the flange 69, a yieldable tension is provided for the lower roller with respect to the upper roller.

From the foregoing and with further reference to the drawings, it will be noted that the second pair of roller shafts 54 and 58, together with the rollers mounted thereon, are adapted to be adjusted with respect to each other, as has been described with reference to the first pair of shafts and rollers, and that in each instance a yieldable tension produced by the spring 70 is provided so as to insure a frictional operative grip of the rollers upon the leather.

The angle upon which the shafts and bearings in the two uprights are mounted with respect to the axis of the chuck differs slightly, see Fig. 2; neither of them are quite in alignment as radiating from said axis, the forward one being positioned better to receive the deflected edge a of the sweat band as it is fed under the shoe, while the other pair of rolls serve more particularly to press the flange down snugly upon the top edge of the cylindrical chuck body. In this respect it is also to be said that the peripheral speed of the second pair of rolls is slightly greater than that of the first pair, which is for the purpose of insuring a stretch of the outer edge portion in forming the flange so that the flange will not only be properly formed, but will hold its deflected position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with suitable flanging rollers, of a cylindrical form of chuck adapted to receive a sweat band edgewise therein, an adjustable plate within the chuck for supporting the sweat band so that its upper edge portion will freely project from the chuck, chuck jaws for clamping the sweat band in position, and means to permit the chuck to be rotated to feed the free edge of the sweat band to the said flanging rollers.

2. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with flanging rollers, of a chuck comprising a rotatably mounted cylindrical body having one closed end and adapted to receive a circularly formed sweat band edgewise in its open end portion, an adjustable member upon which said sweat band is supported, chuck jaws to engage the side of the sweat band and clamp it against the inner wall of the cylindrical body.

3. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with flanging rollers, of a chuck comprising a rotatably mounted cylindrical body having one closed end and adapted to receive a circularly formed sweat band edgewise in its open end portion, a peripherally threaded cylindrical column secured to the base of the chuck body, a disk adjustably mounted on the column for supporting the sweat band, and

chuck jaws to engage the side of the sweat band and clamp it against the inner wall of the cylindrical body.

4. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with flanging rollers, of a cylindrical form of chuck adapted to receive a sweat band edgewise therein, an adjustable plate within the chuck for supporting the sweat band so that its upper edge portion will freely project from the chuck, jaws for clamping the sweat band in position, means to permit the chuck to be rotated adjacent the said flanging rollers, and a shoe supported in the line of travel of the free edge of the sweat band and adapted to turn the same outward for engagement of the rollers, with the rotation of the chuck.

5. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with flanging rollers, of a cylindrical form of chuck adapted to raise and lower the sweat band, means for securing the plate in adjusted positions, chuck jaws for clamping the sweat band in position, and means to permit the chuck to be rotated to feed the free edge of the sweat band to the said flanging rollers.

6. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with a rotatable chuck for supporting a sweat band therein so that its upper edge portion will be freely extended, a pair of rollers to deflect and stretch said edge portion to form a flange, a guide shoe intermediate the chuck and rollers for engaging the edge of the sweat band and deflecting it between the rolls, said rollers being mounted adjacent the periphery of the chuck to receive and flange the edge, and pivotal and adjustable bearings for each roller whereby either or both of the rollers may be adjusted with respect to the other.

7. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with a rotatable chuck for supporting a sweat band therein so that its upper edge portion will be freely extended, a pair of rollers to deflect and stretch said edge portion to form a flange, a second pair of rollers through which the edge portion of the sweat band travels and whose peripheral speed exceeds that of the first mentioned pair of rollers, said rollers being mounted adjacent the periphery of the chuck to receive and flange the edge, and pivotal and adjustable bearings for each roller whereby either 01' both of the rollers may be adjusted with respect to the other.

3. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with a rotatable chuck for supporting a sweat band therein so that its upper edge port-ion will be freely extended, a pair of rollers to deflect and stretch said edge portion to form a flange, a second pair of rollers at an acute angle with respect to the first pair and having a greater peripheral speed than said first mentioned pair, said rollers being mounted adjacent to the periphery of the chuck to receive and flange the edge, each of said rollers being mounted in pivotally hung and adjustable bearings so that either or both of the rolls may be adjusted with respect to the other.

9. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with a chuck for supporting a sweat band therein so that its upper edge portion will be freely extended, two pairs of rollers to engage, deflect, and stretch said edge portion to form a flange, one pair supported in advance of the other, the second pair being geared to rotate slightly faster than the first pair, a pivotal and adjustable bearing so that either or both of the rollers may be adjusted with respect to the other.

10. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with suitable rollers, of a chuck comprising a rotatable mounted cylindrical body having one closed end and adapted to receive a circularly shaped sweat band edgewise in the open end portion so that its upper edge portion will freely project from the end of the chuck, a pair of rollers mounted at a right angle to the face of the chuck, a shoe intermediate the chuck and rollers todeflect the projected edge portion of the sweat band between the rollers.

11. In a sweat band flanging machine of the class described, the combination with a chuck for supporting a sweat band therein so that its upper edge portion will be freely extended, two pairs of rollers to engage, deflect, and stretch said edge portion to form a flange, one pair supported in advance of and at an acute angle to the other, the second pair being geared to r0- tate slightly faster than the first pair, a guide shoe intermediate the chuck and rollers for engaging the rollers, and an adjustable bearing for each roller to adjust it with respect to the other.

12. In a. sweat band fianging machine of the class described, the combination with a cylin- JOSEPH L. OBRIEN. 

